This week we continue our X-Ray Questions series, as we look at the question: Whose performance matters? You can read the other posts in this series by clicking here.
X-Ray Question:
(12) Whose performance matters?
On whose shoulders does the well-being of your world rest? Who can make it better, make it work, make it safe, make it successful? This digs out self-righteousness, or living through your children, or pinning hopes on getting the right kind of husband or wife, and so forth.
Understand
The only one who can truly make our world better is God. We cannot accomplish it on our own, even though we believe we can. Nor can anyone in our network – wife, husband, or children – make our lives better on their own. God’s performance is what matters, He is our Creator and our Sovereign Lord, who is holding everything together and working everything out in His plan.
Repent
We must repent by realizing God is the only one who causes anything to happen. He is the one who builds His church, places people in their careers, provides them with a home, family, and provisions. God alone is in control of our universe, and we must recognize this. Apart of doing so, is coming before God in prayer. By praying, we show we recognize that God is in control and that only His performance matters.
However, unless we first look to the gospel, we will not be able to relinquish control of our lives, and we will always either depend on ourselves or those around us because we will not recognize God for who He is, the all-knowing, all-powerful, holy, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, nor will we realize what He has done, namely, sending His Son to die in our place. Jesus’ death on the cross and subsequent resurrection allows us the ability to commune with God. He paid the price for our sins, so that we may now experience a relationship with God.
When we realize all that God has done – Creator, Savior, and Sustainer – we realize it is only His performance that matters, not ours.
Scripture
Here are a few passages from God’s word to meditate on this week, as you consider the question: Whose performance matters?: Pss 49:13; Jer. 17:1-14; Phil. 1:6; 2:13; 3:3-11.
All X-Ray questions taken from David Powlison’s book Seeing with New Eyes.
Christianity Matters 